The ancient Chinese philosophy of medicine focuses on the balance of life in relation to each person, and requires the use of diet, hands on therapies, exercise, proper rest, and herbs to restore balance. The Chinese concept of basing therapeutic treatments on the nature of each person rathei, than on the nature of the diseases they suffer from, is an embodiment of the overall purpose of Metabolic Typing. Many people in the West who have experienced therapeutic success through the Chinese medicine system can attest to its efficacy, despite some of its inherent limitations.
The ancient Chinese referred to their body typing system as "Constitutional Types." Practitioners divide each person to be treated into their specific Constitutional Type before any therapeutic intervention commences. The fundamental principles of constitutional therapy originated in approximately 3000 BC, and its use has spread throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the West to this day.
In order to properly "type" an individual, the Chinese healer closely examines the patterns of responsiveness and creativity that develop during childhood and which persist throughout life. The constitutional characteristics of each individual are not perfectly fixed and can therefore be slightly modified by environmental factors and internal development. However in the majority of cases, constitutional types rarely change significantly and never become another type entirely. This is due to a history of behavioral and physical tendencies, which began early in life and centered around physical, spiritual, and mental development. In effect, a person's constitution is determined on the basis of present conditions and long-term patterns. Is it any wonder an ancient Chinese proverb states that "nature, time, and patience are the three great physicians"?
In the West, by comparison, our personality types can be categorized as Type A's and Type B's, or as those individuals "at risk" or "not at risk." Type A's are categorically ambitious, very motivated, always productivei highly goal-oriented, constantly pushing the upper limits of their abilities, and very considerate of working associates; they eat too quickly, drink in excess, and don't get enough rest. In contrast, Type B's are generally relaxed, taking things in stride, allowing for pleasure and leisure; they let others worry about deadlines and satisfying work demands, and they tend to eat slowly and sleep a lot.
Of course, not everyone fits cleanly into either one of these categories, but this type of categorization does help to better clarify and classify differences we Westerners see in each other. Western health practitioners classify persons into two further categories, based on tendencies that they exhibit during illness:
At Risk—people who may be severely debilitated after contracting common influenza. After contracting the flu, these individuals may suffer a secondary infection or a worsening of symptoms due to a chronic degenerative disease state that they already have. This compromised health status may undermine their resistance to the flu to the point of death or prolonged hospitalization. Examples of "At Risk" individuals include elderly and very young children, people with transplanted organs, i ongoing or recent cancer therapies, those with chronic respiratory diseases, and morbidly obese people.
Not At Risk—people who, after coming down with the flu, suffer only minor symptoms of discomfort. Maybe they miss a day or two of work or school, and ultimately recover in about a week or less. These people are considered constitutionally healthy and uncompromised, with a characteristically normal, healthy response to viral infiltration.
Conventional Western health practitioners look at these four "rough" body types (Type A, Type B, At Risk, Not At Risk) in relation to their treatment recommendations. The doctor tells the Type A person to slow down a little and let the body heal. He or she then makes special therapeutic allowances for At Risk individuals by very closely monitoring their progress.
resolve underlying constitutional imbalances that, when present, increase a person^ initial susceptibility to disease; if the patient has already contracted the disease, the practitioner can determine a response to it for the long term.
The so-called constitutional imbalances that Chinese practitioners focus upon are really metabolic imbalances, which when properly aligned maximize immune functions. The Chinese Elemental Types are wood, fire, metal, earth, water, heat/dryness, and energy. (Heat/dryness and energy are more modern-day additions to the five traditional, primal elements.)
Each fundamental "type" is further divided by the Chinese into two subgroups, very similar to "At Risk" and "Not At Risk" Western types. Each "type" is more differentiated beyond the Western Type A's and B's in terms of behavior patterns. Each of the "At Risk" and "Not At Risk" subgroups in Chinese medicine are referred to as weak and stressed constitution. Those with weak constitutions tend to become sick more easily, have more nutrient deficiencies or basic energy deficiencies, take longer to recover from ailments, are easily upset or damaged by environmental influences, and require interventional therapies to strengthen and nourish their bodies. Stressed constitutional (or metabolic) "types" are less susceptible to illness and when they do become ill, they recover faster with less disruption. Stressed types tend to be more resi stant to environmental irritations as well.
In essence, the Chinese system of metabolic types consists of 7 behavioral types and 14 constitutional types: 2 subgroups (weak and stressed) for each of the 7 elemental types (wood, fire, metal, earth, water, heat/dryness, and energy).
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